Slaven Bilic has urged West Ham’s squad players to stand up and be counted during their injury crisis. The Hammers have been rocked by injuries to six key players in just over a month which threatens to derail their fine start to the season.
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Dimitri Payet, Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho, Manuel Lanzini, Victor Moses and Winston Reid have all been sidelined, prompting Bilic to order the team switch training grounds in a bid to stem the flow of casualties.
The Upton Park boss will now call on the likes of Michail Antonio, Nikica Jelavic, Mauro Zarate and Pedro Obiang to fill the void when Stoke arrive in east London on Saturday.
“When they were available it was all about the squad. Now we have a tinier squad but it’s time for those players who didn’t play, with team work and team spirit, to step up,” Bilic said.
Elsewhere, Everton travel to Norwich and Roberto Martinez could be without midfielder James McCarthy who faces a late fitness test on a hip problem.
Left-back Leighton Baines is likely to be on the bench again as he continues to build his way back to full match fitness.
Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce welcomes back Jermain Defoe and Wes Brown for the visit of Watford who will again be without midfielder Valon Behrami, who is nursing a calf problem.
Alan Pardew remains without Bakary Sako, Dwight Gayle and Mile Jedinak for Crystal Palace’s visit of his ex-club Southampton.
